Tilt-type lever-operated switch



w. L. DIETRICH 2,377,134

' TILT-TYPE LEVER-OPERATED SWITCH May 29, 1945.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 30, 1943 L J Invenior WWALTER L. DIETRICH {y712's aiiarnqz F \%-m M M y 9 w. L DlETRlcH 2,377,134

TILT-TYPE LEVER-OPERATED SWITCH Filed Dec. 30, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Inveniar WALTER L. DIETR ICH 3 7223 (zi'zarne ys MMW Patented May 29,1945 TILT-TYPE LEVER-OIERATED SWITCH Walter L. Dietrich, Hartford, Conn,assignor to the Arrow-Bart & .Hegeman Electric Company, Hartford, Conn,a corporation of Connecticut Application December so, 1943, Serial No.516,311

(on. zoo-es) 10 Claims.

This invention relates to electric switches. More particularly it relateto an electric switch of the multipole type in which the circuit makingand breaking are accomplished by the tilting of a movable contactresulting from the pivotal movement of an operating lever.

It'is an object of the invention to provide an improved form of thetilt-type lever-operated electric switch composed of a minimum number ofparts of simple and economical form, and which will be durable andpositive in operation.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as itis described in connection with the accompanying drawings.

In the.drawings Fig. 1 is an elevational section view takenlongitudinally through a switch embodying the prin-- ciples f theinvention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view 01' the interior of the switch easing with thecover and operating mechanism removed;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section view taken along line3lof1"lg.1: y

Fig. 4 is a detailed perspective view of the member which engages andtilts the movable contacts simultaneously;

Fig. 5 is a detailed perspective-view oi the tilt able bridging contact.Referring to the drawings, a rectangular casing It, made preferably ofmolded insulating ma-- terial, is hollowed out for the reception of themovable switch parts. The casing may behollowed out in generally H formproviding parallel longitudinal channels i2 and H for the movablecontact members, hereinafter described. In. the center of the channelsl2, H are provided identical fulcrum-bearing members it and I l havingstem portions I68 extending through the floor of the casing and peenedover on to the surface of identical wire terminal members 20 and 22through which, also, the stem portions extend. The inner or upperportions of the fulcrum mornbel's i8, 58 have inclined or tapered topsurfaces, about, the apex of which a movable contact 38 may tilt. Themovable contact members 3i? are preferably stamped from strips of highlyconductive sheet metal and have a strip at the central portion thereoflanced out in the form as best illustrated in Figs. 1 and. 5, namely,with V-shape valley portions 3% and between which is an invertedv-siiape hill portion 38c over which the actuating member (hereinafterdescribed) must ride in moving from one valley to the other during theop ation of the device. 55;- opposii-e ends of the movable contact 2353are contact buttons 35 of silver or other highly conductive material.These buttons are adapted to engage and disengage identical stationarycontact buttons 38 having stem portions which are forced within tubularmembers 40 which pass through the floor of the casing at opposite endsof the channels I: and I4 and have their lower ends peened over on tothe surfaces of wire. terminal members 42, 44 which are or may beidentical with wire terminals 20. Square heads on the tubular members 48seat within square recesses in the ends of'channels I! to preventrotation. Preferably the contact surfaces of the stationary contactbuttons 38 will be tapered or inclined so that as the movable contactmember tilts, the surfaces of the movable contact buttons will have alarge surface of contact with the stationary contacts. I

In order to cause tilting of the movable contacts '80, a lever-operatedmechanism is provided, comprising a lever or handle portion II with aspherical lower end 52 which is received within an externally-threadednipple 54 and bears against a reduced neck portion 56 in the upper endof said nipple. The lever 58 is hollowed out axially for the reception,in its upper end, of a coiled compression spring, and for the reception,in its lower end, of a cylindrical plunger member 80. The plunger member60 has a lower end of reduced section to extend through a centralaperture in an insulating plate 62 of fiber, Bakelite, or other suitableinsulating material. To secure the plate and plunger together, itsreduced and is peened over against the bottom surface of the plate.symmetrically positioned in the insulat ing plate 82 on opposite sidesof the plunger 86 and extending from the opposite side of said platefrom said plunger so as to be directed in the opposite direction to theplunger are identical projection members 66, 86, made preferably fromround metal rods. One end of these projections is preferably of reducedsection to extend through the insulating plate $2 and be peened over inorder to be held securely in place. The opposite ends of the projectionsare preferably flattened axially and tapered to roimdecl points or ends.The flattened portions extend into the slots 338 formed by the lensingout 01 the central strip of the contact members 3%.

To hold the contact members against endwis movement as they tilt,aligned oppcsitely errsen lateral exten ons are on the side. e centralmbers to 11 vertical 519th 39331 -?:d the bottom o trally therein,current carrying fulcrum To hold the parts in their assembled position,the nipple I4 is secured in an aperture in a cover plate II which issecured by bolts or otherwise to the casing ll.

From the foregoing, it may be observed that the spring 5| within theoperating lever ll tends to force the spherical bearing portion H of theoperating lever against the neck II of the nipple 54 to keep those partsin bearing engagement.- At the same time, the spring 58 tends to forcethe operating member (formed of the plunger I, the plate 2 andprojections N and bl) outwardly of the lever 50 to force the projections84 and I. in engagement with the movable contact members 30., Normallythe projections will seat within one or the other of the valleys Ila orIlb oi the movable contact members to hold those contact members in oneor the other of their tilted positions.

Upon movement of the operating lever I. to the left from the positionshown in Fig. l, the projections 64 and I6 ride up over the hill ilc ofthe contact members as the plunger I moves into the lever 50 against thepressure of the spring 5!. When the projections N, it pass over-center,the movable contact members II will be suddenly shifted or tilted fromthe position shown, thereby to separate the fixed and movable contactsat the left endoi the switch and engage the fixed and movable contactsat the right end.

Thus, it will beobserved that I have provided an improved form oftiltable electric switch mechanism wherein the parts may be economicallymanufactured from standard sheet or rod materials or conveniently moldedfrom insulation and may be fabricated with a minimum amount of laborcommensurate with satisfactory operation and durable structure of theinvention.

Many modifications within the scope of the invention will occur to thoseskilled in the art. Therefore I do not limit it to the specificembodiment described and illustrated.

I claim:

1. In a multi-pole electric switch, an insulating casing having parallelchannels therein, fixed contacts at opposite ends of said channels, saidfixed contacts comprising hollow mounting members and contact buttonshaving stems closely fitted in said members, movable contact memberswithin and guided by the side walls of said channels and engageablealternately with said fixed contacts, said movable contacts having hilland said projections into one or another of said valley valley portionsformed centrally therein, currentcarrying fulcrum members tiltablysupporting said movable contact members at their central portions,actuating means for tilting said movable contacts comprising projectionsslidably enguling said movable contacts and an insulating plate fixedlycarrying said projections and a plunger afiixed to said plate, incombination with a hand-- operable lever having sliding mgagunent withsaid plunger, a mounting nipple having a neck against which a sphericalportion of said lever bears,springmeansurgingsaidsphericalportiaiagainst said neck and urging said projections into one or another of thevalley portions of said movable contacts.

2. In a multi-pole electric switch, an insulating casing having parallelchannels therein, fixed contacts. at opposite ends of said channels,movable contact members within and guided by the side walls of saidchannels and engaseable alternately with said fixed contacts, said movale contacts having hill and valley portions formed cenmembers tiltablysupporting said movable contact portions of said movable contacts.

3. In a multi-pole electric switch, an insulating casing having parallelchannels therein. fixed contacts at opposite ends of said channels,movable contact members in said channels engagcable alternately withsaid fixed contacts, said movable contacts having hill and valleyportions formed centrally therein, current carrying fulcrum memberstiltably supporting said movable contact members at their centralportions, actuating.

means for tilting said movable contacts comprising projections slidabLvenga i said movable contacts and an insulating plate fixedly carryingsaid projections and a plunger afiixed to said plate, in combinationwith a hand-operable lever having sliding engagement with said plimger,a mounting nipple. having a neck against which a spherical portion ofsaid lever bears, spring means urging said spherical portion againstsaid'neck and urging said projections into one or mother of the valleyportions of said movable contacts.

4. In a multi-pole electric switch, an insulating casing having parallelchannels therein, fined contacts at opposite ends of said channels,movable contact members in said channels malle alternately with saidfixed contacts, current'carrying fulcrum members tiltably supportingsaid movable contact members at their central portions, actuating meansfor fliflng'said movable contacts comprising projections slidablymgagingsaidmovablecontactsandaninsulatingplatefixedlycarryingsaidprojectims andaplunger afilxedtosaid plate,incmnblnationwitha'handoperable lever having sliding engagement with saidplunger, a moimting nipple having a neck against which a sphericalportion or said lever bears, spring means urging said spherical portionagainst said neck and urging said projections into engagement with saidmovable contacts.

5. In a multi-pole electric switch, an insulating casing having parallelchannels therein, fixed cmtacts at opposite ends of said channels,movable contactmembersinsaidchannelsengagelblealternately with saidfixed contacts and guiding by the side walls of said channels, currentcarrying iulcrum members tiltably supporting aidablecontactmembersattbeircentralportiom. actuating means for tiltingsaid movable contacts ild-sing P jections slidahly mgaging id movablecontacts and an insulating plate fixedly carrying said projections and-aplunger afilxed tosaidpIafleJncombinaIlonwithahand-cperable lever havingsliding Wt with said p uneer, sw e mea s uraing said proiections intoengagement with said movable contacts.

-l electricswitch,aninsulatihg casing, fixed contacts at opposite endsof said casing, movable contact members engageable alternately'with thefixed contact members at oppositeendsofthecasinmcurrentcarryingflb crummembers tiltably supporting said movahh contact members at their centralportions, actuat-' ing maens ior'tilting said movable contactscommembers prising projections slidably nsuin said movable contacts andan insulating plate fixedly carrying said projections and a plungeraflixed to said plate, in combination with a hand-operable lever havingsliding engagement with said plunger, spring means urging saidprojections into engagement with said movable contacts to hold saidmovable contacts in engagement with one or 'the other of the fixedcontacts at opposite ends cal member affixed to the central portion ofsaid' plate, a plurality of projections ailixed to said plate andextending oppositely to said cylindrical member, movable contactssupported for tilting movement, and means resiliently holding saidprojections engaged with said movable contacts and permitting slidingtherebetween to cause tilting of said contacts from one position toanother.

9. In a-multi-pole electric switch, a tiltable device comprised of aninsulating plate, a cylindrical member amxed to the central portion ofsaid plate, a plurality of projections ailixed to said plate andextending oppositely to said cylindrical member, movable contactssupported for tilting movement, said movable contacts each having astrip pressed out from their central portions forming a slot with theexpressed portion in hilland-valley form below, said projections havingflattened side surfaces adjacent their tips enabling the projections toextend through the slots into engagement with said hill and valleyportions.

10. In a multi-pole electric switch, a tiltable device comprised of aninsulating plate, a cylindrical member aiilxed to the central portion ofsaid plate, a plurality of projections amxed to said plate and extendingoppositely to said cylindrical member, movable contacts supported fortilting movement, said movable contacts each having a strip pressed outfrom their central portions forming a slot, said projections having 4flattened side surfaces adjacent their tips ena- 25 bling theprojections to extend through the slots.

WALTER L. DIETRICH.

